Means for controlling movements from a distance.



No. 767,751. I PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904. M. R. HANNA.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING MOVEMENTS FROM A DISTANCE. APPLIOATION FILED JAN.18, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES. INYENTOR;

.ie w' ZVZM. MAX R/"fA/WVA W y WM UNITED STATES Patented. August 16,190A.

PATENT OFFICE.

MAX R. HANNA, OF SCHENECTADY, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRICCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEXV YORK.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING MOVEMENTS FROM A DISTANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,751, dated August16, 1904. Application filed January 18, 1904. Serial No. 189,433. (Nomodel.

To (ZZZ whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, MAX R. HANNA, a citizen of the United States,residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means forControlling Movements froma Distance, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to controlling the positions of movable membersfrom a distance;

and its object is to provide a simple and efficient means forcontrolling the position of one or more movable members and shiftingsuch members at will from one position to another.

My invention is applicable to controlling the position of the brushes ofa plurality of motors on a car or train or controlling the position ofthe movable contacts of rheostats or other regulators and also to thecontrol of many. other movable devices. although I shall describe myinvention as applied to controlling the brush position of 1110- tors, itwill be understood that my invention 5 'is in no way limited to thisparticular application.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows diagramatically a motor andbrush-controlling devices therefor arranged in accord- 3 ance with myinvention. Fig. Qshowsamodified form of the same, and Figs. 3 and Ashowspecial forms of pilot-motors adapted to my invention.

In Fig. 1, S represents the field or stator of a motor connected throughthe switch .9 and the line-wires 1 and 2. R represents the rotor orsecondary member of the motor. The rotor R is provided with a commutatorC, on which bear the brushes 6. Bis the brush- 4 holder ring or yokewhich is, as usual, rotatably mounted in any of the ways well known inthe art. Brush-holder ring B has gearteeth out on its lower side, whichare engaged by the worm D, driven by pilot-motor M. Thus as motor Mrevolves brush-holder ring B will be rotated in one direction or theother,

depending upon the direction of rotation of motor M, and the brushes Zwill be shifted.

Consequently,

Brush-holder ring B carries two movable contacts (Z andd, which aresecured to ring B, 5 but insulated therefrom and from each other. Thesemovable contacts engage the segments of the stationary commutator E,which is secured to the frame of the machine. (Not shown.) The segmentsof stationary commutator E are connected through the conductors 3 to 9to the controlling-switch F. The movable contacts (Z (Z are connected totwo terminals of the motor M, the other terminal of the motor beingconnected to the controlling-switch F. Controlling-switch F comprisesten stationary fingers f to f and ten movable contacts g to \Vith thecontroller in the position shown and with switch 8 closed there is notendency for the motor M to rotate. 5 The circuit of the motor M is asfollows: from line-wire 2 to movable contact 9 to g to contact f tomotor M, to contacts (Z and (Z in parallel to the segment of commutatorE, connected to conductor 6, to contact-fingerf, 7 contact 9, contact gstationary finger f switch a, and line-wire 1. Thus itis seen that thecurrent from motor M is flowing in parallel through the two leadsconnected to (Z and (Z. he motor is so arranged, as will be herein afterexplained, that when the current is flowing through both of these leadsthere is no tendency for the motor to rotate. Now if controlling-switchF is moved in one direction or the other-as, for instance, toward theleft until contact-fingerf engages contact it will .be seen that thecircuit through movable contact (Z is broken, since the connection fromswitch 8 through the controller F has been shifted from contact-fingerfto contact-finger 5 f and consequently from conductor 6 to conductor 5.Movable contact (Z is in engagement with the commutator-segment to whichconductor 5 is connected. Consequently current will flow from the motorthrough movable con- 9 tact (Z alone. The motor will revolve, rotatingbrush-holder ring B in a counter-clockwise direction and will continueto revolve until movable contact (Z makes contact with the segment towhich conductor 5 is connected. At this instance both movable contacts(Z and (Z are in contact with the same segment. Consequently currentagain flows through the two in parallel, and the motor ceases to rotate.As controller F is shifted to another position the same operation isrepeated. Thus it will be seen that each position of the controllercorresponds to a certain position of the motorbrushes, and by simplymoving the controller to any one of its positions motor M willautomatically bring the brushes of the large motor to the properposition and will then stop. Furthermore, it is evident that thebrushshifting devices and pilot-motors for any number of main motors maybe connected to a single controlling-s witch F. Thus the brush positionof any number of motors may be controlled from a single point. Myinvention is thus applicable. to the control of a plurality of motors ona car or train.

Fig. 2 shows amodification of the arrangement heretofore described. Inthe modified form brush-holder ring B is arranged to be returned to agiven position when circuit of the pilot-motor M is broken. Brush-holderring B is provided with an arm I, to which are attached twotension-springs z 2', which tend to return brush-holder ring B to theposition shown in the drawings. In order to permit of the return of ringB, motor M is pivoted, and worm D, driven by motor M, is normally heldout of engagement with ringB by tension-spring j. Solenoid H when energized acts upon its core h to oppose tensionspring 1' and to throw wormD into engagement with rack on ring B. Thus when switch 8 is closed wormD is thrown into engagement with ring 'B, and when controlling-switch Fis moved to any of its positions the operationis the same as has alreadybeen described. Controlling-switch F is the same as in Fig. 1, eX- ceptthat finger f and contact g are omitted, their function being performedby the tension-springs i 2'. Also the movable contact g of Fig. 1 isdivided into twocontacts g and g so that in the off position of thecontroller no current flows through the motor. This is to permit ofclosing the circuit through solenoid H and throwing worm D intoengagement with ring B before motor M is started.

Fig. 3 shows a form of motor adapted to perform the functions of thepilot-motor M when the source of supply for the pilot-motor isalternating current. The motor, as shown in Fig. 3, has a primary member10 and a secondary member 11, provided with short-circuitingcommutator-brushes. Two leads 13 and 14 are provided for connection tothe movable contacts (Z and d in Figs. 1 and 2. The motor acts as arepulsion-motor when either lead 13 or 1 1 is carrying current, the lineof magnetization of the primary member being displaced in one directionor the other from the line of the short-circuiting rotor-brushes.

When current is flowing in the same direction through both leads, theresultant magnetization is parallel to the line of the short-circuitingrotor-brushes, and consequently there is no tendency to rotation.Resistances 9* may be inserted in the leads 13 and 14 to reduce theamount of current-flow.

Fig. 1 shows a motor adapted to act as a pilot-motor when the source ofsupply for the pilot-motor is direct current. The motor has an armature15 and a field 16, the armature being connected to the middle of thefield and the leads 18 and 19 to the two ends of the fieldwinding. Ifcurrent is flowing in both leads 18 and 19, the magnetic effects of thetwo parts of the field oppose each other and there is no tendency torotation. If either of the leads alone is carrying current, one-half offield 16 is operative and the motor revolves in one direction or theother, according to which half of the field is energized.

I do not desire to limit myself to the particular construction andarrangement of parts here shown, since changes which do not depart fromthe spirit of my invention and which are within the scope of theappended claims will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is

1. In combination, amovable member, amotor adapted to drive said member,movable contacts moving with said member and in circuit with said motorto produce rotation of said motor when one contact alone is energized, aseries of stationary contacts arranged to be traversed by said movablecontacts and each stationary contact being adapted to be engaged by oneor both of said movable contacts, and means for selectively energizingany one of said stationary contacts.

2. In combination, a movable member, amotor adapted to drive saidmember, a series of stationary contacts, means for selectivelyenergizing any one of said contacts, and movable contacts moving withsaid member and in circuit with said motor and adapted to coact withsaid stationary contacts whereby said motor is stopped when said movablecontacts are in a given position relative to the stationary contact thatis energized.

3. In combination, a movable member, amotor adapted to drive saidmember, means for starting said motor, contacts in the circuit of saidmotor and moving with said member and arranged to stop said motor uponreaching a predetermined point, and means controllable from a distancefor shifting the position of said point.

4. In combination, amovable member, amotor adapted to drive said memberand provided with terminals for forward and reverse rotation, means forenergizing one set of terminals, automatic means for energizing bothsets when said member has reached a predetermined point, and meanscontrollable from a distance for shifting the position of said point.

5. In combination, a movable member, amotor adapted to drive said memberand provided With terminals for forward and reverse rotation, a movablecontact for each set moving with said member, a series of stationarycontacts adapted to be traversed by said movable contacts and eachstationary contact being adapted to be engaged by one or both of the 10movable contacts, and means for selectively energizing any one of saidstationary contacts. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this15th day of January, 1904.

MAX R. HANNA. WVitnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ORFORD.

